In a plant for cutting panels or panel stacks, it is known to provide upstream of the first machine in the plant, which is the longitudinally cutting machine, an apparatus for turning upon control a panel or a panel stack around a vertical axis, so that the same is differently arranged relative to the cutting line of the cutting machine, in order to carry out any cutting pattern by the so-called "precutting" operation.
In prior art panel- or panel stack-turning apparatus, the panel- or panel stack-supporting worktables occupy considerable floor space, and are of special construction.